Jungle Red!: The Making of MGM's The Women

by Illeana Douglas

The year 1939 produced such outstanding film classics as Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Wuthering Heights. No less critically acclaimed that year was The Women. A largely forgotten masterpiece, The Women is a glamorous but stinging satire about women forced by society to be defined by men. Jungle Red! The Making of MGM’s The Women restores this classic to its rightful place in Hollywood history, and its lasting legacy as a template for later female-driven projects like Sex and The City, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Four MGM screenwriters, including a failing F. Scott Fitzgerald and an on-the-rise Donald Ogden Stewart, fought over their vision of The Women. Jane Murfin was completing her script when Anita Loos was brought in to work with her on a new draft for George Cukor, then recently fired from Gone with the Wind and determined to use The Women to get his career back on track. He became, as one newspaper called him, the lion tamer to the ladies. With sophisticated direction by Cukor, lavish fashions by Adrian, and gorgeous sets by Cedric Gibbons, its all-star cast was led by Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Fontaine. Not a single male actor appeared, proving that women didn’t need men to rule the box office. Gossip columns were filled with stories about fierce on-set rivalries, which proved fairly combustible, leading one columnist to refer to the set as “a female kennel,” with behind the scenes antics as fierce and flamboyant as the film itself. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “The Women is a vitriolic masterpiece!” Now, it’s time to fall in love with The Women all over again! In Jungle Red! The Making of MGM’s The Women, and using never-before-seen photographs, memos, and script notes, Douglas writes not only how the film came together, but captures how the lives of the people who made it intersected before, during and after, and how the conflicts on-set and off resulted in the greatest film ever made about women . . . by a man!

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Film, Biography, Media Tie In

304 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2026

About the author

Celebrated actress, comedienne, writer, producer, director, Illeana Douglas has starred in films like Goodfellas, Cape Fear, To Die For, Picture Perfect, Ghost World, as well as TV shows from Six Feet Under to Welcome to Sweden. Millions have watched Easy To Assemble, a web series she created and starred in from 2008 to 2013. As part of the Turner Classic Movies family she hosted Second Looks, and has done film introductions and memorable interviews with some of Hollywood's greatest.

Reviews

[Kirsti]

Rosalind Russell BIT Paulette Goddard on the thigh while this movie was being shot and Goddard carried the scar for the rest of her life? Are you kidding?! Also, I didn't know that Norma Shearer bedded an 18-year-old Mickey Rooney when she was 38 and that Joan Crawford, not to be outdone, had a sexual affair with a 17-year-old actor. I knew the casting couch was real, but from the 21st century, both of these romances sound creepy. Power corrupts.
Fun and gossipy yet thoroughly researched account of an important (yet delightfully bitchy!) movie. Minus one star for being extraordinarily repetitive (the book, not the movie). I have seen this movie at least twice, but this book has inspired me to borrow the DVD from the library so I can watch it again.

[Online Eccentric Librarian]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This was a delightful read with well researched facts and insights from the great granddaughter of a Hollywood star of the era and respect actress in her own right. This was a big studio vehicle at the time (even with Gone With The Wind being filmed at the same time) and nearly all the women in the movie had something to prove. Those who haven't seen the movie will find as much to love here as those who are fans - this is a portrait of 1930s Hollywood and the making of a big budget movie in that glamour era.

The book has three parts: Biography of the writers/original play, biographies of the stars/costume designer/set designer/hair stylist, and then the making of the movie itself. Very little is discussed about the legacy of the movie nor the subsequent remakes (1956's The Opposite Sex or 2008's The Women). The book is solely focused on the movie itself and the time period right before it was brought to the screen/the filming. If I had one wish, it was that the legacy was explored more.

Of course, the central rivalry was between leads Norma Shearer (indeed, the movie was made purposely for her) and upcoming actress Joan Crawford. But there were antics off set by other stars as well, including Rosalind Russell jockeying for her own share of star power and John Fontaine trying to come out from under the shadow of her older sister, Olivia De Havilland. This is a film that only starred women (even the dogs were female) based on a play famed for its cattiness. But the biography includes the men who got it made: from the direct and producer to the studio heads that sometimes butted heads with them.

The book could have been very boring but instead the author has a great way of presenting interesting information and condensing biographies into the best bits. It was fascinating to read about F. Scott Fitzgerald's contributions to the script (and also his sad personal history at the time) as well as Shearer's determination to stay relevant after the death of her studio boss husband. Each of the women stars as well as the women behind the scenes like the original writer and script editors, existed in a precarious position in a patriarchal studio system and utilized different survival tactics.

I imagine most will be interested in the Crawford/Shearer power dynamics (hence the cover of this book which is taken from a 1939 Life magazine cover not-s0-subtly hinting at their rivalry). But there is a lot more here too - little things like who had access to wardrobe or hairstylists first making a difference in how well they were portrayed on screen.

This is well worth the read - before or after having seen the 1939 movie. It's then a fun comparison to watch the two remakes for comparison. Excellent research and well written. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Ashley]

Illeana Douglas documents in great detail the making of MGM’s 1939 movie, The Women, in her new book, Jungle Red. I’m such a fan of old Hollywood and this movie holds such a special place in my heart. Douglas does such an incredible job with the structure of the book and giving lots of behind the scenes drama.

We’re first introduced to Clare Booth Luce the playwright of The Women. Douglas gives us Luce’s backstory and the inception of the stage play which was based on her marriages and friendships. With the play becoming so successful, MGM purchases the rights and immediately sets the first of four screenwriters to work. F. Scott Fitzgerald takes the first crack, but it’s Anita Loos’ version that becomes the movie. Douglas details each screenwriter and their vision of what the movie could have been, and what if anything of each’s version ended up in the movie.

Once the movie’s written, we’re part of the casting process including the hunt for the best director to take on each of these women and their competing personalities. I really liked that we were given a biography of each person up until the point they made the film so we could meet them where they were. We’re also given biographies for the set designer and costume designer.

Then we get into the meat of the book and Douglas details the making of the movie. She shares the drama between Shearer and Crawford and the jealously Shearer had of Russell stealing the spotlight. It’s amazing at how Cukor juggled these stars. Once the movie is over, Douglas gives us the aftermath, how this movie affected Cukor and each of the women in Hollywood. It’s a beautiful full circle of a film that still holds resonance today.

Thank you to Globe Pequot and Lyons Press for this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Margo Laurie]

With tears and a halting voice, she [Joan Crawford] gave the item of her impending divorce to the movie magazine Modern Screen before even letting Fairbanks know she had filed. When asked why the marriage had failed, she breezily told the magazine, "He lacked ambition."

I enjoyed this take on the classic George Cukor film 'The Women' (1939). The author Illeana Douglas (grand-daughter of actor Melvyn Douglas who starred with Greta Garbo in Ninotchka the same year) delves into the life stories, rumours and anecdotes about many of the people involved in the film - including F. Scott Fitzgerald (whose draft script was binned), Anita Loos, legendary costume designer Adrian and Rosalind Russell - as well as the production process.

The film's most famous line is "There's a name for you ladies, but it isn't used in polite society outside of a kennel" and the book doesn't shy away from being a bit bitchy itself. In places, it has the feel of eavesdropping on beauty salon gossip from the 1930s, a little old-fashioned and not especially politically-correct, but very much in keeping with the spirit of 'The Women'. The book's title "Jungle Red" is the shade of nail polish the women in the film favour - which represents glamour, assertiveness and a particular character finding her "claws".

The book is definitely Team Crawford in terms of the Joan Crawford vs. Norma Shearer rivalry, though a few unflattering anecdotes about Crawford get included as well. For fans of the golden age of Hollywood, this is a very good read and well-illustrated with publicity stills from the film.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Edie]

Failed attempts to read this book as an ARC left me anxiously awaiting its publication date. I had it pre-ordered & it was so worth the wait & purchase.

With Crawford & Shearer on that cover plus that infamous nail lacquer, it is a goodie even before you open the pages!

For whatever reason, I grew up on this film. It was a favorite of my mother born in 1923. As the decades passed, there were far more options available to watch it on demand plus own it. My daughters (born in the 1990s) are big fans & we can all recite certain lines on demand.

As someone that is named Edith, goes by Edie & is fully aware there aren’t a lot of us – It was always a treat to hear the character on the big screen (even if she was a breeder)!

I’ve viewed the remakes many times. I do enjoy the cast in the 2008 remake. I personally felt the 1956 musical version lacked appeal. With 9/11’s tragic timing & after-effects, I could never get to see the 2001-2002 version on Broadway. Still, in my opinion none of these carry the star power of the original of 1939.

Illeana Douglas is the perfect storyteller to go behind-the-scenes since she, herself, is a part of Hollywood Royalty. Despite watching this movie for 50 years, I wasn’t aware of the various writers plus what went into the set design & what was cut or what stars were considered & passed over. Thank you for recognizing the importance of this landmark film & its place in history.

[Adrian]

Jungle Red! is a very detailed homage to a time in Hollywood where movies reigned and the Golden Age of Hollywood was very much alive, after the advent of the talkie but before the television revolution...

Illeana Douglas, connected to the Hollywood bubble by reason of her parentage takes the audience to the equivalent of the spa. We have stories about all the players coming together for a film that became a sleeper hit, even if, historically it didn't gain Oscar nominations and has perhaps fallen out of favour. For example, I haven't seen the picture.

Douglas paints in jungle red colours the behind-the-scenes feuds and friendships of this movie. A lot hinges around forgotten Norma Shearer who was watching the sands of time shift under her feet. Joan Crawford obviously gets plenty of coverage. Now, time to watch the movie and connect the dots...

[Joanie]

I loooooooooooved this book!! “The Women” is my 2nd favorite film of all time, 2nd only to “All About Eve”. Ileana really does her research here and goes beyond just the making of the film and tidbits about the dynamic between the main cast. I knew almost nothing about the original author of the screenplay, Clare Booth Luce so reading about her background was fascinating! So many screenwriters on the film though before ultimately landing on Anita Loos.

If you’re a lover of the golden age, a lover of this film or any of its cast you will devour this book. It’s extremely well done!

[Michelle Quinn]

This well-researched history of MGM's 1939 film, The Women, was a very fun read. I ended up highlighting so many of the gossipy bits to read to my husband the next morning. We rewatched the movie before I started the book to make the reading even better. Illeana Douglas' writing is fun but also fair. She shows all the different sides to being an actress in Hollywood's Studio system - the good, the bad and the downright awful. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of classic movies.

[Katherine]

What a fun read. The Women is one of those films I can see over and over again. Getting all the "behind the scenes" info just adds to its appeal. I've seen the other "remakes" with the exception of the TV version with Shelly Winters as Crystal ( is it available anywhere ?) but nothing can top the original. Illeana Douglas chronicles the film from its Broadway beginnings to its film creation and makes it fun. If you're into classic films, this is a must read

[Magen]

A fascinating and fun look into one of my favorite films, The Women. Really thoughtfully laid out lovingly told. I just loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Globe Pequot/Lyons Press for the eARc in exchange for an honest review.

[Craig Elliott Jr]

I thought it was a lot of fun going behind the scenes of one of my favorite movies.

[Marshall]

The story of the making of the iconic film.

[Gareth Lane]

“There was a time to be a lady, and a time to be a bitch.”

I rate behind-the-scenes books for films I love based on how compelled I am to put the book down and watch the movie instead. I found this entry in the genre to be as intriguing and engrossing as the famously, deliciously catty, rapid fire film it’s about. I couldn’t put it down.

Unlike many “The Making of…” tell-alls, Douglas doesn’t use traditional “…and then this happened” linear structure. Instead, she very cleverly duplicates the structure of the film.

Before there was The Women, the 1939 motion picture, there was The Women, the 1936 Broadway play. One of the first things we see in The Women (1939) is the title card, which praises the play, touting its “triumphant run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.” A following intertitle credits the playwright, Clare Boothe Luce. Likewise, Jungle Red! begins with an “opening credits” sequence of its own, starting with a sort of prologue, giving due credit to the playwright and the original Broadway production.

Then we meet the cast of characters (in descending billing order!) Each of the players gets their own vignette of backstory, setting the stage, ratcheting the tension, raising the personal stakes and creating a compounding list of complications. Any lover of the history of Hollywood’s Golden Age will love Jungle Red! from the strength of these chapters alone! It’s a true compendium of Old Hollywood gossip and scandal—it’s Hollywood Babylon, but reputable. Film fans will also love the behind-the-scenes stills and press and production photos throughout!

Halfway through The Women, as Crystal and Mary are careening towards a head-on collision, the plot breaks for a ten minute, technicolor fashion show sequence. Similarly, at the midpoint of Jungle Red!, with the cast assembled and ready to convene on set, we break for biography and backstory of the “The Illusionists,” the film’s designers (including Adrian, whose designs are on display in the aforementioned fashion show). Here we’re given insight as to how their artistry influenced the world these women inhabit.

The final third of Jungle Red! mirrors the film’s finale, where the women assemble in the powder room of a swanky New York nightclub and long simmering tensions and resentments boil over, exploding into chaos, calamity and outright, delicious bitchiness. This is the point in Jungle Red! where filming begins, the cast’s storylines converge and the claws come out!

But to praise this as nothing more than a chronicle of a catfight would be to undermine it. Douglas gives insightful observations and textual analysis of the film as well as historical context of the culture it was created in. But if you’re only interested in tales of petty squabbles, mind games, power plays and diva behavior from the grande dames of Hollywood, you won’t be disappointed!




Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!